Holly Potter: The Girl Who Lived
by Raggedyvulcan
Summary: She was the spitting image of her mother, with her father's untameable hair. Holly Potter, Hufflepuff, was the epitome of a light witch. But humans have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are worst for them. HP/TR - LV, AU, Dark Harry, Years 1 - 7, Ratings may change, Slow Romance, Slow Story, WIP


_Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling; this fanfiction is purely for entertainment purposes only. No profit is being gained through this._

Please note that certain parts of this fanfiction are identical to the books and Pottermore, in fact it's an exact retyped extract with perhaps modified parts to suit the story.

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Main Pairing HP/TMR - LV** ;** Brief Romances ; _**Slow** **Romance**_ **;** Dark Fem Harry** ;** Alternate Universe **;** _**Wealthy**_ Harry **;** _**Strays from Canon**_ **; **Ratings may change as story progresses

Flamers are ignored. Constructive Criticism is a godsend. I write fanfiction for myself, everyone else is just welcome to read it along with me.

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**Holly Potter: The Girl Who Lived**

**Chapter One**

_"Humans have a knack for choosing precisely the things that are worst for them."_

Mr. and Mrs. Dursley, of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much. They lived in a perfectly normal house in a perfectly normal street. They had a perfectly normal son named Dudley and Mr. Dursley had a perfectly normal job at a drill making company called Grunnings. Now, being so _perfectly_ normal, many of their neighbours could sympathise them having to take in Petunia Dursley's wayward **cultist** sister's daughter. It was quite a scandal; Petunia Dursley could be heard screaming in horror _miles_ away that day when she found the baby in a basket in front of her door.

It seemed poor Petunia had every right to be horrified, Holly Potter of number four was a strange and unsettling child. She was small and unnaturally quiet for someone so young, even the _shyest _of children in Surrey weren't as soundless as her. It wasn't just her behaviour that was unsettling though, Holly had freakishly green eyes that were such an inhumanly unnatural shade, it alarmingly resembled emeralds. Even her hair was abnormal! Gravity defying dark bitter chocolate coloured locks that seemed to be perpetually in a mess, as if she ran her hands through it often. It was safe to say that despite how pretty she was with her porcelain complexion and dainty face, many residents of Privet Drive were very reluctant in approaching or associating with her. They were especially thankful they didn't, the Dursleys could be heard bellowing and screaming at the girl almost every day! The Mrs. from number 8 could be seen consoling poor Petunia during their weekly luncheons, it seemed the girl was a _criminal_, an absolute delinquent who didn't care one whit about how generous the Dursleys were in opening their home to her _despite_ her family history. At least they put their foot down and demanded that the girl did chores, the Dursleys didn't need a criminal freeloader in their homes after all. If it were up to the Mrs. from number 8, she would have placed the girl in an orphanage.

xx

It was a clear, wonderfully sunny morning; Holly groaned when Aunt Petunia banged mercilessly at the door to her cupboard, screaming in a shrill voice "UP! GET UP." Coughing violently when dust covered her, courtesy of Dudley jumping up and down on the stairs, Holly stumbled out of her lumpy mattress and trudged into the kitchen, ignoring the hissed "Make sure you don't burn anything, I want everything to be perfect for my Dudley's special day" as she walked towards the pan of sizzling bacon. This was a typical morning for her, Holly used to wonder why her family despised her but after ten years of nothing but animosity, Holly began to loathe them in return. She did her chores, which wasn't much really, just the cooking, dishes, laundry, house cleaning, watering the plants and grocery shopping. Of course the last one they gave with great hesitance- they warned her many times if they caught her stealing their hard-earned money, she'd cop the beating of her life. Holly hated them for treating her like a criminal; she never did anything to earn their mistrust. In return the Dursleys left her alone to do as she wished, which was usually reading or studying. It suited her just fine being alone, after Dudley broke the arms of anyone attempting to befriend her, the children of Surrey agreed with her wholeheartedly.

"Hurry up girl! Bring me my coffee!" grunted Uncle Vernon angrily, Holly fumbled with the hot pan as she placed some bacon onto the plate and hastily made him a mug of coffee, bringing both the plate of breakfast and mug over then walking back and grabbing a plate of her own food.

Holly sat at the far corner of the table and ate quietly, surreptitiously rolling her eyes when Dudley began to speak in his spoilt tone, glancing at the mountain of birthday presents decorating the kitchen, "How many are there?"

"36, I counted them myself" said Uncle Vernon proudly, staring affectionately at his son, Holly tuned out when Dudley started screaming, she couldn't understand how anyone could let their child become so spoilt. She idly wondered if they pampered Dudley so much in order to subtly…well _not so_ subtly emphasize how much of an unwanted ward she was, if that were true then she felt sorry for Dudley. He was being raised to be a spoilt, self-entitled, arrogant brat that will mostly likely never gain a successful job because he knew nothing about humility or obeying others. No employer would hire him. Was making her life here at number four miserable really worth ruining their child's future?

xx

She shivered in fear as she crawled out of Uncle Vernon's car, Dudley was wailing and crying while Aunt Petunia coddled him and clung to him. Vernon was purple in his silent rage. She hadn't meant to…do whatever she did…it wasn't her fault the glass _vanished_! It was impossible for it to be her fault!

Holly cried out in pain when Uncle Vernon violently grabbed her by her hair and dragged her into the house before viciously throwing her against the stairs. She whimpered when her hips collided with the corner of a step and her head thumped against the wooden railing.

"_**What. Did. You. DO**_?!" roared Uncle Vernon as he advanced towards her, Holly shrunk back in fear. Uncle Vernon had only hit her once before, when she was six or seven years old. Her teacher's hair had turned blue and insisted that it was her fault. Uncle Vernon had taken her home, undid his belt and whipped her ferociously until he was out of energy. She hadn't been able to move for weeks and had welts all over her body. Apparently he felt guilty enough for hurting her so severely that he never touched her again.

"I _swear_ I didn't do anything Uncle Vernon, one minute the glass was there and the next it was gone!" Holly cried imploringly, "It was like magic" Uncle Vernon growled and grabbed her arm, dragging her towards the cupboard and throwing her inside before locking the doors. "_There is no such thing as __**magic**_" he spat before slamming shut the little metal slit, leaving her in total darkness.

xx

Holly couldn't believe it. She was a witch, _she had magic_, and she was currently looking for a Platform 9 and ¾ wishing Hagrid could have given her directions instead of just leaving. The Dursleys had gone insane when her letter came; they had cleaned out Dudley's second bedroom and had proclaimed that it was now hers. They burned every single letter addressed to her, barricaded the mail slot and even moved to a _lighthouse_ in order to escape the waves of letters flooding number four. When the Dursleys realised that her going to Hogwarts was inevitability going to happen whether they approved or not, courtesy of Hagrid, they pretended she didn't exist which made her life infinitely easier. She spent the remaining time she had reading all her textbooks over and over, she even snuck into Diagon Alley once or twice to buy more books since Hagrid had been kind enough to return her Gringotts key. The Goblins had been surprised to see her again so soon. She had stumbled into the bank and stood awkwardly at a counter in complete silence for what seemed like a century before kindly requesting to see whoever was overseeing her family's vault- which was a Goblin by the name of Sharptooth who was considerably more polite than those she had met before.

"_Hello, I'm sorry, I'm not quite familiar with how things are run here, but I'd like to check how much gold the Potter vault has, and would you be kind enough as to tell me anything else I should know as the last of the Potters? I've been living in the muggle world for the majority of my life you see…" Holly stated as confidently as she could, Sharptooth gave a curt nod before placing a stone bowl with strange carvings of symbols around it in front of her._

"_Place three drops of your blood in the bowl," said Sharptooth before handing her a knife then placed three folded parchments into the bowel as well as three drops of ink. Holly did as she was instructed, making a shallow cut on her finger before squeezing it and shaking a few droplets of her blood into the bowl. _

_There was a flashing bright light before Sharptooth removed the parchments, then began reading, _

"_Holliette James Potter. Born 31__st__ of July 1980. Parents: James Charlus Potter and Lily Potter nee Evans. Blood status: Halfblood. You have a total of 10 vaults, the main one being the Potter family vault, and your trust vault, the rest are minor vaults from families who have willed them to you either because you are the girl who lived and they have no heirs, or because their entire family has died out and the Potter family is the closest relation,_

"_**The Noble Ancient House of Potter**__ vault contains a total of 69,034 heirlooms, 32,345 books, 5032 other artifacts and 8,788,653 Galleons. You will be unable to access anything in this vault until you reach the age of majority. _

"_**The Potter Trust**__ vault contains no heirlooms, books, or any artifacts and 889,343 Galleons. You are allowed to withdraw up to and no more than 100,000 Galleons per year as spending money, as well as up to 10,000 galleons for school and school related items. This trust will remain open until you finish school then all remaining items will merge with the main family vault. No gold will be added to this vault so it would be wise to not spend all the gold until you have access to the main family vault._

"_The remaining 8 vaults have a total of 934 heirlooms, 854 books, 230 other artifacts and 859,856 Galleons. You have the option to merge all 8 vaults with the Potter family vault in order to not pay for upkeep, or if you wish, they may remain open._

"_Now, onto properties, you own a total of 10 properties throughout the United Kingdom, 2 properties in Australia, 1 property in the United States, 2 properties in France, and 1 property in Germany. Is there anything you would like to know Miss Potter?"_

_Holly stared at Sharptooth in awe; she had never heard her full name before. She always thought her name was just Holly Potter. _

"_H-how much is that in muggle money?" she couldn't wrap her mind around the fact that she had money._

"_As 1 galleon is equal to US$7.34 or £5 pounds, The Potter family vault contains US$64,508,713 or £43,943,265, The Potter trust vault contains US$6,527,777.62 or £4,446,715 and the 8 vaults together hold US$6,311,343.04 or £4,299,280._

"_In total you hold a total of US$77,947,833.66 or £52,689,260"_

_Holly felt like she was going to be violently ill. She had lived her life with no money and now she owned enough to last her 20 lifetimes and longer. Thinking about her 'spending money' she paled, were her parents insane? Allowing someone her age access to so much money! That wasn't spending money at all! Spending money was...50 galleons! Maybe at most 100 galleons! For two years!_

"_C-can anyone else access my vaults?" she asked timidly, if the Dursleys knew how much she owned, they wouldn't leave a single knut for her. _

"_No Miss Potter, only you have access and no one else may take a single thing from you without your consent. Now about those 8 vaults, do you wish to merge them with the main Potter vault or leave them be?"_

"_I'd like to merge them…and h-how did the Potters make so much money?" Sharptooth grinned, "Miss Potter, you belong to one of the few most ancient Wizarding families in the United Kingdom, perhaps the world. The Potters are only second to the Black family despite not being a part of the sacred twenty eight and have, of course, married them in many past generations. In fact, Dorea Potter, your paternal grandmother was a Black. They have had many generations to earn their gold; also, as many smaller clans of Wizarding families died out during the first and of course second war, the Potters inherited their assets as the most closely connected relatives."_

"_Miss Potter, if I may, might I suggest a tutor? You are the last Potter; it would be quite useful learning how to behave in pureblood social circles. I would also suggest you buy a book called Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy which will help you immensely." _

_Holly stared at the Goblin thoughtfully, "I suppose I'll need it now, but I don't know where to look for a tutor."_

"_Not to worry, I'll owl you once I find someone appropriate."_

"_Thank you Sharptooth." _

_She felt dizzy and full of new knowledge, thanking Sharptooth once more, Holly had taken out 5,000 galleons and left, promising herself that she would splurge just this once then be more responsible with her gold. _

Other than books, she had bought extra potions ingredients, an extra cauldron and an entirely new wardrobe. She bought a whole range of dark and light coloured robes for all seasons, mostly in blue, green, black, red or brown. Some summer dresses made from acromantula silk, ridiculously expensive dragon hide pants which resembled jeans but much more serpentine with the scales, but she was told that they were near indestructible, as well as a few charmed jumpers, shirts, skirts, socks and shoes, all waterproof, fireproof and stainproof as well as capable of growing with her up to 8 sizes.

Holly had bought a charmed ring which translated languages spoken, both hers and other people's. She had bought an eyesight correction potion on a whim, having felt her eyesight wasn't 20/20. She was blown away by how much clearer everything was after drinking the foul tasting concoction.

She had also bought 8 new compartments for her trunk, mostly compartments for keeping books, as well a few spells to keep the things inside the trunk safe from breaking, 4 more locks- three of them were absolutely nasty curses and a waterproof, stainproof and fireproof charm on the exterior.

In total, everything she had bought had cost her around 2,000 Galleons, which meant that following what Sharptooth had said, that one Galleon was US$7.34 then roughly by her estimate it costed her US$14,680 or £10,000 pounds. Holly cringed at the amount of money she spent; no wonder the shopkeepers treated her like royalty.

Pulled sharply out of her reverie by a loud woman's voice grumbling about muggles, Holly walked towards the red haired family, watching as one after the other, they ran into a wall and disappeared. Holly pushed her trolley towards the wall and stared. It looked very solid. Closing her eyes, Holly ran towards it, sighing in relief when she didn't end up splattering against the wall. Glancing around, Holly stared in awe. Smoke from the engine drifted over the heads of the chattering crowd, while cats of every colour wound here and there between their legs. Owls hooted to one another in a disgruntled sort of way over the babble and the scraping of heavy trunks.

Dragging her trunk and her birthday gift from Hagrid, a snowy owl she named Hedwig on board the train, of course, with the help of a pair of red haired twins, Holly quickly found an empty compartment and put her things away before sitting down and closing her eyes. She didn't realise she had dosed off until she heard the compartment door slam open.

"Excuse me, do you mind? Everywhere else is full." mumbled the red haired boy apologetically, "Not at all," Holly replied smiling, gesturing towards the seat opposite her, the boy nodded his thanks before sitting down with a sigh of relief. "I'm Ron by the way, Ron Weasley" he said before extending his hand for a shake, "My name is Holly, Holly Potter." She replied before shaking his hand. Ron's eyes widened, glancing up at Holly's forehead and back again. She knew he didn't see what he wanted to see, her messy hair usually covered her scar when she didn't tie it up in her usual side fishtail braid.

"Are you really _the_ Holly Potter?" Ron blurted out.

Holly nodded.

"Oh -well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes, saying they helped someone who looked like Holly Potter with her trunk…not that I didn't know you were coming to Hogwarts this year or anything," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know..."

He pointed at Holly's forehead. Holly sighed before brushing aside her hair to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who…"

"Yes," said Holly, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" asked Ron eagerly.

"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else. I- I don't really want to remember it…my parents..."

"I'm sorry…" said Ron looking guilty, having just remembered _how_ Holly had gotten the scar. "Do you like Quidditch?" he asked in an attempt to change the conversation, Holly grinned, "I don't know, I've never played or seen others play it before"

They spoke amicably about Quidditch and other topics of interest, pausing only briefly when the trolley lady strolled past. Seeing the look of longing on Ron's face, Holly spent 5 galleons and bought a handful of sweets, offering to trade half for a slice of sandwich; Ron stared at her incredulously but agreed. The sandwich was delicious.

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

Holly stared gloomily at her hands, "They loathe me." She mumbled and Ron stared at her incredulously; Holly proceeded to tell him all about the Dursleys. Ron was horrified.

The next time they were interrupted was when Ron was preparing to show her a spell his brothers had taught him to turn his pet rat yellow. The compartment door slid open once more; Holly glanced up and saw a bushy haired girl with two large front teeth.

"Has anyone seen a toad? A boy named Neville's lost one. I think it's called Trevor," said the girl before glancing at Ron, her eyes brightened and she stepped further inside, "Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see then."

Ron shrugged before clearing his throat, "Ahem. _Sunshine Daisies Butter Mellow Turn this stupid fat rat yellow_." A faint light zapped the rat before fading, Holly and Ron waited but nothing happened to Ron's disappointment. The girl frowned, "Are you sure that's a real spell? Well, it's not very good, is it? Of course, I've only tried a few simple ones myself but they've all worked for me. For example," the girl turned towards Ron, her wand raised at his nose, "_Tergeo. _That's better, isn't it?" the dirt on Ron's nose vanished immediately. "Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you."

"Holly, Holly Potter, and this is my friend Ron Weasley, his brothers are pranksters, which is most likely why the spell didn't work,"

Hermione gasped, "Holy Cricket! I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in-"

"Modern Magical History, The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts, Notable Magical Names of our Time, Great Wizards of the Twentieth Century, and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century. I know, they're all speculations and you shouldn't put any faith in them. Only my parents, Lord Voldemort and I were there that night, no one else. I know you mean well but I really dislike people claiming to '_know_' me when they've only read a few books that are mostly incorrect with only some parts _relatively _similar to what had happened." Holly interrupted rather harshly, she could see Hermione was taken aback but the girl had to learn not to take every book at face value.

"I-I'm sorry I" Hermione started rather timidly, Holly smiled, "Don't worry Hermione, come sit with us, I'll show you something interesting that I learnt while reading ahead," drawn in by the lure of seeing magic, Hermione slowly sat next to Ron,

"Okay, so the toad's called…Trevor?" Hermione nodded, "well then… _Accio_ Trevor" all three of them waited before a toad suddenly flew in and slammed into Holly's chest who was currently smiling triumphantly. Hermione's eyes widened, "Oh I absolutely must learn that spell!" she mumbled to herself. Holly nodded, "It'll be really useful, but even if you don't learn it by yourself now, it'll be taught this year. Personally I think the silencing charm is the most useful- it's used to tune out a person's voice which makes living in a dorm absolutely wonderful, you learn it in fifth year but the wand movement is pretty easy so you could learn it now to save you from having to spend five years with disrupted sleep." Ron gaped at her, eyes wide, "Blimey Holly, how far ahead did you read?!" Holly shrugged, "I asked the bookstore keeper what books were required for each year, I bought all the books the second to seventh years are using this year, apparently the book requirements change a lot depending on whose teaching, so I might need to buy new books next year. Anyways, since I had nothing better to do, I read them all, practicing the wand movements, this is the first time I've tried the spells I've learnt though. I'm not confident I can pull off _every_ spell I've practiced, so I'm hoping to try a majority of them and see which ones I need help with- that way I can ask the Charms Professor for assistance."

Hermione moaned and shook her head in misery, "I'm going to be so behind everyone else!" she cried sadly, Ron turned and stared at her incredulously.

"Don't worry Hermione, most people don't read ahead, you'll be on equal footing with a majority of first years coming to Hogwarts." Holly placated her, smiling at how dramatic the bushy haired girl can be. Hermione, calming down slightly, nodded, vowing to study harder next holidays.

"So, which house do you think you'll be in?"

"Gryffindor, my whole family's been in Gryffindor," Ron stated in a proud tone, Holly shook her head before saying hesitantly, "I don't know Ron, instead of following family tradition; why not choose the house best suited for _you_?" Ron furrowed his eyebrows thoughtfully, "I'm not book smart so I won't be in Ravenclaw and everyone knows Hufflepuffs are duffers, it'd be so embarrassing landing in there, and I'd rather go home than be a slimy Slytherin- there hasn't been a witch or wizard who hasn't gone dark in Slytherin!"

Holly couldn't believe what she was hearing, "No, absolutely not, how can you _think _than Ron?! Hufflepuffs are hardworking and loyal, they make the best of friends, they're the ones I want around me for the rest of my life and especially in dangerous situations because I _know_ they'll have my back, just like I'll have theirs. Newt Scamander was a Hufflepuff, so were three Ministers of Magic and Hengist of Woodcroft the founder of Hogsmeade. Slytherins aren't all evil either; did you know Merlin himself was in Slytherin? Can you claim he's evil? No, they're ambitious, they're cunning, and they make the best politicians, lawyers and leaders. If I'm ever in legal trouble, I'll look towards finding myself a Slytherin graduate.

"Now, I don't have to tell you how courageous the Gryffindors are, but don't forget that they're also chivalrous. Which means: courtesy and honour, Gryffindors are those who treat others politely, kindly and honourably. They help those who need help, they don't discriminate based on _houses _at a school, and they are the role models people look to, Ron. Gryffindors don't attack people, they're the defenders, they defend everyone who is in need of defending which is why I can't let you keep thinking in that mindset of 'They're evil and they're duffers' because that isn't how a Gryffindor should behave. If you really want to be a Gryffindor, then at least take up every single value of Gryffindor house. Be honourable, be courageous, be the role model, the leader, the person people would want to lean on in their time of need regardless of house colour.

"Ravenclaw, the smart, the witty, the creators, these are the people who you know will become world renown, Ron, and if you put the effort in, then I don't see why you can't end up in this house. Personally, I would love to be in any of the four houses because they're the houses of the four founders and each one of them were absolutely amazing in their time."

Ron and Hermione stared at her in awe, never in Ron's life had he heard someone so passionate about defending each house. Ron had felt terrible when Holly listed the qualities of a Gryffindor; he vowed that he'd live up to her expectations if he ever got in. And if he didn't get in, well, hearing how she described the other houses, Ron wouldn't be as disappointed as he originally thought he would be at the thought of being placed into one of them. Hermione couldn't help but re-evaluate her opinions of each house either, she had guiltily thought the same thing about the Hufflepuffs and felt terrible when Holly talked about them so passionately.

"I wouldn't mind being in Ravenclaw and maybe Hufflepuff…I've always dreamed about having a loyal friend who'll stand by me through thick and thin…" murmured Hermione, Holly grinned, beyond pleased that they listened to her instead of dismissing her.

"Blimey Holly, where'd you learn all that stuff from?" Ron asked, Holly laughed, "I was rather curious about each house and _Hogwarts: A History_ was very brief so I went and purchased _Houses of Hogwarts._"

"Oh I knew I should have bought it," Hermione's expression looked almost pained at the fact that she didn't have the book herself, "Holly, would you mind lending it to me?"

"Of course, I'll give it to you either tonight if we're in the same house or tomorrow."

"Thank you so much Holly, you're absolutely wonderful!" Hermione cried happily, Ron rolled his eyes, "So mate, you never told us which house you wanted to be in."

Holly furrowed her eyebrows in thought, "I'm not sure, I like all the houses so it's rather difficult picking just one. But I don't really want to get into Gryffindor or Slytherin, purely because of their animosity towards each other. I don't really want to spend seven years of my school life in a constant competition with my housemates to see who gets better marks either, not that it's a bad thing. I think it's a great way to motivate yourself to work to the best of your abilities. But if I have a choice in my sorting then I think I'll pick Hufflepuff. Of course, I'd much prefer going into a house best suited for me, so I don't think I'd protest if the sorting hat placed me in a different house. What about the both of you? If you had to pick one house, which house would it be?"

"What? A _sorting hat_? Fred and George said first years had to battle trolls!" Ron cried in rage, glaring at the door with his legs slightly twitching as if he was holding back the temptation to run out in search of his brothers. Hermione tutted in disapproval, "They shouldn't tease you like that, but to answer your question Holly, I think I'd do well in Ravenclaw."

"I'm still pretty keen on Gryffindor…" Ron answered almost hesitantly; Holly nodded her head "You'll be a great Gryffindor Ron." She stared in amusement when he flushed tomato red. "We'll still talk and stay friends even if we're in different houses, won't we?" Holly asked timidly, both Ron and Hermione nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course!" they both chirped.

"We'll even sit together at meals; I don't think there's a rule against different housemates sitting together." Hermione added and Ron nodded, Holly felt a wave of affection for her new friends fill her chest.

"So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?" Holly asked, turning towards Ron.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with those nasty Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault."

Holly stared. "Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news, they haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

Holly turned this news over in her mind. She was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You- Know-Who was mentioned. She supposed this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

The compartment door slid open once again and Holly stared as three boys entered. Holly recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. She didn't really like him, he reminded her a bit of Dudley with his spoilt tone but they were cordial towards each other enough that she didn't exactly dislike him since she didn't really know him.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Holly Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?" He was looking at Holly with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley. "Yes," said Holly. She was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where Holly was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Holly gave him a disapproving glare. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

He turned back to Holly. "You'll soon find out some Wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake Holly's, but Holly didn't take it.

"I thank you for your offer but, of course as you know with you being the heir to the prestigious Malfoy family that I, being the heir to a noble family such as the Potters, must learn to make my own decisions." Said Holly politely, Draco frowned as he thought it over before nodding his head in agreement.

"Of course, I know exactly what you mean," said Draco, "We need to make our own decisions, be independent, otherwise other people, less _worthy_ people, could use us and our powers to do things detrimental to our family name and honour."

"Thank you for understanding, that being said, I must tell you that your behavior towards Ronald Weasley was absolutely unbecoming of a Malfoy heir" said Holly in a disapproving tone, Draco opened his mouth but Holly quickly continued, "Disregarding wealth, the Weasley family are still a part of the sacred twenty eight and deserve respect despite the Malfoy-Weasley feud and their blood traitor status. I'm sure your father would agree with me when I say that the heir to the Malfoy name must follow pureblood customs and etiquette especially in the company of others."

Holly watched as Draco straightened his back and stared at Ron in disgusted defeat, "I apologize for behaving in a manner unbefitting of a Malfoy heir, please excuse me."

Turning towards Holly, Draco stared appraisingly at her, "I hope to see you in Slytherin, you clearly have your head on straight and behaving like a true heir to a pureblood family, despite your own blood status. It would be a shame to see you waste away your intelligence in any other house." he said before leaving, Holly sighed as the compartment door slid closed.

"What the bloody hell was that?" Ron cried,

"I declined his offer of helping me decide whose 'worthy' of my presence. Politely," Holly replied.

"You spoke like- like-"

"Like a pureblood heir? I was behaving like I was supposed to as the last remaining Potter. I'm following customs and etiquette of being heir, I was also speaking his language. I'd rather not make an enemy my first day of school, Ron. I have to spend seven years with him"

"Holly's right, it's better to not make an enemy in first year," Hermione agreed. Ron grumbled before nodding his head, "Thanks for defending my family there mate."

"It's not a problem but next time, don't insult him please, I'd rather not do this again, it makes me jittery and nervous."

"Where did you learn all that information from anyways?" Hermione asked curiously, Holly shrugged, "I bought some pureblood etiquette books and _Nature's Nobility: A Wizarding Genealogy_ because the Goblin in charge of my family account at Gringotts recommended that I learn how to behave like a proper heir and apparently knowing everyone's family tree and business is incredibly useful. I've asked that Sharptooth hire a tutor for me, he'll owl me when he finds someone appropriate."

"Just don't turn into another Malfoy, alright Holly?" Said Ron worriedly, Holly giggled at the nervous look he kept shooting her, "I promise I won't Ron."

The rest of the trip was spent in friendly conversation, when it was time to change Ron had kindly left allowing Holly to stay in the compartment. Since Hermione was already dressed, she had left to return Trevor to Neville. All three of them met up at the boat and sat together, staring in awe at the Castle. Holly had never seen anything as beautiful and grand as Hogwarts, she was absolutely mesmerized.

As the first boats reached the cliff; they all bent their heads and the little boats carried them through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. They were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking them right underneath the castle, until they reached a kind of underground harbor, where they clambered out onto rocks and pebbles. Then they clambered up a passageway in the rock after Hagrid's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle. They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here?" Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. She had a very stern face and Holly's first thought was that this was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," said Hagrid.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit the whole of the Dursleys' house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

They followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. Holly could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right -the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed the first years into a small, empty chamber off the hall. They crowded in, standing rather closer together than they would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rule breaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear then her gaze landed on Holly. Professor McGonagall's face seemed to scrunch up into an expression of shocked grief, "I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly." she abruptly turned and walked away.

Holly nervously combed a hand through her hair in an attempt to tame the mess; she had no idea what she had done to make Professor McGonagall give her that expression.

"What was that, Professor McGonagall looked devastated," Ron whispered into Holly's ear, she nodded, "I don't know what I did to make her look at me that way."

Both Holly and Ron jumped as several people behind her screamed.

"What the -?" She gasped. So did the people around her. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing.

What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance -"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed the first years.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at them. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told the first years, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though her legs had turned to lead, Holly got into line behind Hermione with Ron behind her, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

Holly had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led the first years up here, so that they came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind them. The hundreds of faces staring at them looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, Holly looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. She heard Hermione whisper to someone, "It's bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

Holly quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of the first years. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house.

For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing. After a while the whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause –

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. Holly saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

" Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; Holly could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, Holly noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to Holly in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Holly gave her shoulder a squeeze before Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

After some deliberation, what seemed like a brief argument where Hermione's face scrunched up in determination, the hat shouted "RAVENCLAW!"

Both Holly and Ron clapped enthusiastically for her.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon" "Nott" "Parkinson" then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil" then "Perks, Sally-Anne" and then, at last - "Potter, Holliette!"

As Holly stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"_The_ Holly Potter?"

The last thing Holly saw before the hat dropped over her eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at her. Next second she was looking at the black inside of the hat. Holly waited.

Hmm," said a small voice in her ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, Ah my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... So where shall I put you?"

'_Do I get a choice?'_ Holly thought curiously,_ 'Hufflepuff then,'_ the hat chuckled.

"Hufflepuff eh? You'll do far better in Ravenclaw, or Slytherin- No? Are you sure? You could be great you know, it's all here in your head,"

Holly frowned, _'I could be great in any house. All the houses have had great wizards and witches.' _She thought at the hat almost angrily.

"Yes, but Ravenclaw would much better suit you, wouldn't you feel better in a house full of people who share your enthusiasm for gaining knowledge?

"Or perhaps Slytherin, where you can live to your full potential as the last of the Potters? You can gain many influential allies in Slytherin, Miss Potter.

"Ahh and let's not forget Gryffindor. You reflect many of Gryffindor's positive traits; you would fit in quite well there as well.

Holly sighed, _'Just put me in the house you think I should be in, I won't be disappointed either way because each house is amazing in its own right.'_

"Hmm, I see, well, if you're sure - better be HUFFLEPUFF!"

Holly heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall and grinned. She took off the hat and walked shakily toward the Hufflepuff table. The entire hall was silent in shock, nobody moved. When Ron and Hermione clapped, the entire hall erupted in noise. The Hufflepuff table burst into uproarious cheer unlike anything Holly had ever seen or heard. They drowned out every other noise in the great hall, even the Weasley twin's theatrical moaning and despairing cries of "We don't have Potter! We don't have Potter! We demand a re-sort!"

Holly felt a hand pull her own into a vigorous shake, she glanced at the prefect badge, "Gabriel Truman, Hufflepuff prefect, welcome to Hufflepuff!" he cried happily, patting her on the shoulder. Holly gave a hesitant smile. Holly sat down opposite the fat friar. The ghost patted her arm, giving Holly the sudden, horrible feeling she'd just plunged it into a bucket of ice-cold water.

She could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest the Gryffindor table sat Hagrid, who caught her eye and gave her the thumbs up. Holly grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. Holly recognized him at once from the card she'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. Holly spotted Professor Quirell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. Holly crossed her fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "GRYFFINDOR!"

Holly clapped loudly along with the rest as Ron collapsed into a chair on the Gryffindor table. She gave him a proud smile when he turned and looked at her.

The last person to be sorted was "Zabini, Blaise," who became a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

Holly looked down at her empty gold plate. She had only just realized how hungry she was. The candy and sandwich she ate seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. Holly didn't know whether to laugh or not.

"Is he - a bit mad?" she asked Gabriel uncertainly. The prefect laughed merrily, "Mad? He's a genius! Best wizard in the world! But he is a bit mad, yes. Would you like some potatoes, Holly?"

Holly's mouth fell open. The dishes in front of her were now piled with food. She had never seen so many things she liked to eat on one table: roast beef, roast chicken, pork chops and lamb chops, sausages, bacon and steak, boiled potatoes, roast potatoes, fries, Yorkshire pudding, peas, carrots, gravy, ketchup, and, for some strange reason, peppermint humbugs.

The Dursleys had never exactly starved her, but she'd never been allowed to eat as much as she liked. She was only allowed one plate of food and no second servings or dessert. And even when she piled her plate high with food, Dudley had always taken anything that he wanted right off her plate, which was usually almost everything, even if it made him sick from eating so much.

Holly piled her plate with a bit of everything except the peppermints and began to eat. It was all delicious. "Oh I do miss food, it looks absolutely delicious" lamented the friar sadly, watching Holly delicately cut up her steak.

"Can't you-?"

"Oh no, not since my death," said the Friar "I don't have to of course, but one does miss it. So- new Hufflepuffs! I hope you're going to help us win the House Championship this year? Slytherin have got the cup six years in a row! I'd love for our colours to be displayed."

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate éclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding - "As Holly helped herself to a treacle tart, the talk turned to their families.

"Is your sister really Gwenog Jones, Megan?" asked the girl in pigtails, Hannah Abbott. The light chocolate skinned girl across from Holly gave a proud smile, "Yep! Dad thought mum was strange having me and Peter, since we're eleven years younger than Gwen. It's because he's muggle you see, apparently muggles don't live as long as Wizards and Witches and don't usually want to have children with such an age gap between them."

"Oh I'm such a fan of her!" another girl swooned; Holly struggled to remember her name but finally remembered that it was Leanne. "I'm such a Holyhead Harpies fan; do you think you'll become a beater like your sister Megan?"

"Oh no! Never! I play Quidditch with her at home sometimes and I'm definitely a Chaser. Gwen laughed so hard she almost fell of her broom when I attempted being a Beater. Peter isn't a Beater either; he's definitely a Keeper according to Gwen."

"Are you sad that your brother is in Gryffindor?" Holly asked, glancing at the boy who looked almost identical to Megan despite being fraternal twins. Megan turned towards Holly and gave a soft smile, "I already knew we weren't going to be in the same house, he was always jumping into situations without a second thought, but yes, I'm a bit sad." Holly nodded in sympathy, "You could always sit with him sometimes at breakfast or lunch, that's what my friends Ron, Hermione and I are doing." She suggested kindly.

"That sounds brilliant; I'll run it by him later on, thanks Holly." Megan thanked her gratefully, Holly smiled.

"So are you interested in Quidditch?" Megan asked curiously,

"Oh, I've never played but it sounds really fun, I'm not sure I'll be good at it though."

"Of course you will be! Your father was Chaser and Captain you know!"

Holly felt all the air leave her lungs and she stared at Megan in awe, "R-really? He played Quidditch?" she asked, feeling slightly choked up at the information. Holly barely knew anything about her parents and any information on them made her want to cry.

Megan stared at her worriedly, "Didn't you know?"

Holly shook her head before staring at her half eaten treacle tart sadly; "I barely know anything about them…" she shrugged. Megan was shocked into silence before staring at Holly determinedly, "Mind you, I don't know much about them but my mother was in the same year as your parents and I've heard that James Potter was very good at Quidditch and Transfiguration. He was also a big prankster. I've also heard that Lily Evans was a very bright witch who could have been in Ravenclaw. She was brilliant in all her subjects, especially Charms and Potions. They were Head Girl and Boy together and were both in Gryffindor. And…from the one photograph I've seen of them…you look like the spitting image of your mother…with your father's untameable hair."

Blinking back tears Holly stared at Megan, "Thank you so much Megan." She said thickly, Megan gave a shy nod before changing the subject to something less serious, everyone else politely ignored the moment and enthusiastically spoke about classes, Holly was even more grateful.

Holly, who was starting to feel warm and sleepy, looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin. It happened very suddenly. The hook-nosed teacher looked past Quirrell's turban straight into Holly's eyes - and a sharp, hot pain shot across the scar on Holly's forehead.

"Ouch!" Holly clapped a hand to her head. "What is it?" asked Megan, noticing Holly's flinch. "N-nothing." The pain had gone as quickly as it had come. Harder to shake off was the feeling Holly had at seeing the expression on his face when they made eye contact. He looked absolutely agonized, it terrified Holly to see someone look at her with such a desperate, grief stricken expression and she couldn't help but feel compassion for the man. No one deserved to have that expression on their faces.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" she asked Gabriel quietly. "Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape" Holly didn't like how Gabriel talked about him. Gabriel sounded so aggressive and hateful, what surprised her was the expression on the other older student's faces. It seemed not a lot of people liked the man.

Holly watched Snape for a while, but Snape didn't look at her again. She felt as if he was forcing himself to not look in her direction. At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent. "Ahern - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you. "First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well." Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins. "I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch. "And finally, I must tell you that this year; the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death." Holly giggled, but she was one of the few who did. "He's not serious?" she muttered to Megan, "Must be," said Gabriel beside her, frowning at Dumbledore. "It's odd, because he usually gives us a reason why we're not allowed to go somewhere - the forest's full of dangerous beasts, everyone knows that. I do think he might have told us prefects, at least."

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore.

Holly noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed. Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words. "Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!" And the school bellowed out into off tune song.

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest. "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime, off you trot!"

The Hufflepuff first years followed Gabriel, through the chattering crowds, out of the Great Hall, into the Kitchen corridor- which confused everyone immensely before they stopped at a stack of large barrels in a nook on the right hand side.

"Everyone here?" Gabriel called out, glancing at the small group before continuing, "Alright, the entrance to the Hufflepuff common room is located right here behind these barrels. Tap the barrel two from the bottom, middle of the second row, in the rhythm of 'Helga Hufflepuff', and the lid will swing open. We are the only house at Hogwarts that also has a repelling device for would-be intruders. If the wrong lid is tapped, or if the rhythm of the tapping is wrong, the illegal entrant is doused in vinegar. I'll speak more once we're inside."

Gabriel tapped the barrels and Holly stared in concentration, memorizing the rhythm. When the barrel opened, everyone crawled inside and along the passageway behind it. As everyone emerged on the other side, a collective gasp could be heard. Holly stared at the common room in awe. The common room was round and earthy and low-ceilinged; it looked and felt very warm and sunny, and its circular windows had a beautiful view of rippling grass and dandelions which was breathtaking even at night. There were a lot of burnished copper about the place as well as overstuffed sofas and chairs which were upholstered in yellow and black. There were also many plants, which either hanged from the ceiling or sat on the windowsills.

Holly distantly heard Gabriel say, "Our Head of house, Professor Pomona Sprout, is Head of Herbology, and she brings the most interesting specimens- some of which dance and talk- to decorate our room, which is one reason why Hufflepuffs are often very good at Herbology."

"It's beautiful," Megan breathed quietly beside her, Holly nodded in agreement. It was such a cosy place, she felt she had finally found home.

"Everyone, please gather around," Gabriel called, the first years hurriedly obeyed. "I'm Prefect Gabriel Truman, and I'm delighted to welcome you to Hufflepuff. Our emblem is the badger, an animal that is often underestimated, because it lives quietly until attacked, but which, when provoked, can fight off animals much larger than itself, including wolves.

"Now, there are a few things you should know about Hufflepuff house. First of all, let's deal with a perennial myth about the place, which is that we're the least clever house. Wrong. Hufflepuff is certainly the least boastful house, but we've produced just as many brilliant witches and wizards as any other. Want proof? Look up Grogan Stump, one of the most popular Ministers for Magic of all time. He was a Hufflepuff – as were the successful Ministers Artemesia Lufkin and Dugald McPhail. Then there's the world authority on magical creatures, Newt Scamander; Bridget Wenlock, the famous thirteenth-century Arithmancer who first discovered the magical properties of the number seven, and Hengist of Woodcroft, who founded the all-wizarding village of Hogsmeade, which lies very near Hogwarts School.

"So, as you can see, we've produced more than our fair share of powerful, brilliant and daring witches and wizards, but, just because we don't shout about it, we don't get the credit we deserve. Ravenclaws, in particular, assume that any outstanding achiever must have come from their house. I got into big trouble during my third year for duelling a Ravenclaw prefect who insisted that Bridget Wenlock had come from his house, not mine. I should have got a week of detentions, but Professor Sprout let me off with a warning and a box of coconut ice.

"Hufflepuffs are trustworthy and loyal. We don't shoot our mouths off, but cross us at your peril; like our emblem, the badger, we will protect ourselves, our friends and our families against all-comers. Nobody intimidates us.

"However, it's true that Hufflepuff is a bit lacking in one area. We've produced the fewest Dark wizards of any house in this school. Even Gryffindor has produced a few dodgy characters.

"What else do you need to know? Oh, yes, our house ghost is the friendliest of them all: the Fat Friar. Some of you have met him at dinner a moment ago, you'll recognise him easily enough; he's plump and wears monk's robes, and he's very helpful if you get lost or are in any kind of trouble.

"I think that's nearly everything. I must say, I hope some of you are good Quidditch players. Hufflepuff hasn't done as well as I'd like in the Quidditch tournament lately.

"You should sleep comfortably. We're protected from storms and wind down in our dormitories; we never have the disturbed nights those in the towers sometimes experience.

"And once again: congratulations on becoming a member of the friendliest, most decent and most tenacious house of them all. Our dormitories are reached through round doors in the walls of the common room. Girl's dormitories are to the left and boys to the right. See you in the morning!"

Holly and the rest of the girls walked through the closed door marked 'Girls Dormitory' which opened into a wide circular room which had doors along the walls labelled first year through to seventh year, as well as a cosy lounge room in the centre with bookshelves in the spaces between each doors. The fireplace was to the left of them and a small chess table was to their right.

Walking towards the door labelled 'First Year' beside the chess table, they opened it and gasped. Copper lamps casted a warm light over the five four-poster beds which had thick gold velvet curtains with black lace trimming on the bottom. All the beds were covered in patchwork quilts, and copper bed warmers hung on the walls in case of cold feet. The beds were all positioned along the walls of the round room which allowed a window between each that gave the same view as the common room. Each bed had a cupboard and desk, as well as a small bookshelf. They were all positioned less than a metre from the foot of the bed and placed in a curve which gave each a bed bit of privacy, especially from those sleeping in beds vertically and diagonally on the other side. Directly across from the entrance was the door to the bathroom.

Their trunks had already been brought up and Holly was thrilled to find that Megan was in the bed next to hers. Too tired to talk much, they pulled on their pajamas, brushed their teeth in the bathroom which was just as grand as the rest of the castle, and fell into bed.

Megan fell asleep almost immediately but perhaps Holly had eaten too much because she dreamt she was wearing Professor Quirrell's turban, which kept talking to her, telling her she must transfer to Slytherin at once, because it was her destiny. Holly told the turban she didn't want to be in Slytherin; it got heavier and heavier; she tried to pull it off but it tightened painfully—there was a burst of green light and cold laughter and Holly woke, sweating and shaking. She rolled over and fell asleep again, and when she woke next day, she didn't remember the dream at all.

* * *

**Authors Note:**

It might take a while to write this, I'm hoping to write 10k for each chapter so it might take a few weeks or days depending. Please be patient. Thank you!

This fanfiction will start from first year through to seventh year.

_**Also note that occasionally parts may seem similar to other fanfictions but that's only because it feels as if we've exhausted every scenario and what-if. **_

Please also note that I didn't exactly plan out this fanfiction so bear with me.


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